West Midlands Railway gears up for public ownership
Rail services across the West Midlands are set to return to public ownership this weekend, as the region’s main rail operator becomes part of the government-backed Great British Railways.
From Sunday, 1 February, West Midlands Railways and its London Northwestern brand will become part of GBR, the fourth passenger rail operator to be taken into public ownership since new legislation was passed in 2024.
The government says GBR will create a “a simpler, more unified railway”, with Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, saying the government was working hard to turn around a “fragmented” network of privately-owned rail services across the country.
With the transfer of West Midlands Trains, eight out of the 14 passenger train operating companies that will run under Great British Railways are now in public ownership.
“From this Sunday, the thousands of passengers who travel with London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway will be using services that are owned by the public and run with their interests at heart,” she said.
“We’re working hard to reform a fragmented system and deliver a reliable railway that regenerates communities, rebuilds the trust of its passengers and delivers the high standards they rightly expect.”
Ian McConnell, Managing Director of West Midlands Railways, described public ownership as an “exciting opportunity” for the services, which he said would create a railway that passengers”could be proud of”.
Meanwhile, West Midlands mayor Richard Parker, said the move would improve services for passengers – adding that he would be working with ministers to improve standards on the service.
“For too long, passengers have had to put up with unreliable and overcrowded trains and a confusing ticket system run by companies that put profit before people,” he said.
“Now we have a government which is delivering on its pledge to take public ownership and fix our broken railways. This is about more than a badge on the side of a train – and I will be working closely with ministers to improve West Midlands Railway services and raise standards.
“And with my plans to take back control of our buses making good progress, we have an opportunity to create a truly integrated public transport system offering smooth, reliable and affordable journeys, whether passengers are travelling by train, bus or tram.”
Other services now in public ownership include Greater Anglia, c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER, and South Western Railway – with Govia Thameslink set to also transfer over in May.
The date for the transfer of Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railways services has not yet been announced – however the government says its full public ownership programme will be completed by the end of 2027.
